Fluid compressor



s. w. CALHOUN. FLUID COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4| 1919.

'Patented Apr. 1s, 1922.

2 SHEETs-SHEET s.

' minut' S. W. CALHOUN.

FLUID COMPRESSOR.

APPLrcATloN FILED Auw.. 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented' Apr. 18, 1922.

UNITE-D sTA'ljzs PATENT OFFICE.'

FLUID COMPRESSOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

Application filed August 4, 1919. Serial No. 315,042.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, STERLiNG W. Cer.- HoUN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glencoe, in the county` of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fluid compressors of the centripetal type.

One of the objects of the invention is to generally improve compressors by simplifying the structure to the end that all valves, connecting rods, crank shafts and plston packing rings are eliminated and consequently the cost of production 1s correspondingly reduced and certainty of operation enhanced.

Another object is to provlde a compressor ,which will produce a substantially constant flow of fluid under pressure instead of p eriodic impulses .usual in compressors 1n which a single cylinder and reciprocatlng piston are generally employed. The small increments at more frequent intervals 'are conducive of greater eficiency in operation and such action imposes less strain on the apparatus and the containers connected therewith,

In the cyclic operation of my compressor, there is no periodpf time when a larger quantity of fluid is being compressed tl 1an at some other period during 1ts activlty. Therefore there is a substantially steady flow of compressed fluidv from the delivery Yend of the compressor and a relatively even constant flow of the Huid into the compressor.

Other, further and more specific objects of myl invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the draw-` ings, wherein;-

Fig. 1 is a section through the axis of the compressor, taken on linel-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a relatively stationary part containingthe intake and delivery port of the compressor.

InA all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

In the drawings 5 is a portion of the housing frame supported on a pedestal 6, which taken on line.

may be an integral part thereof, and having a cover plate 7, secured thereto at intervals, by bolts 8. The interior of the frame is made substantially air tight by a packing ring 9, between the main body portion of the frame and the cover plate 7.

The cover plate 7 is also provided with a hub 10, having .an outturned annular flange 11.

Asleeve member 12 lits inside of the hub 10 and is provided with a flange 13 for connection with the flange 11, by bolts 14.- EX- tending from the flange 13, between the hub 10 and the sleeve 12, is a sleeve 15, expanded at its inner end into a disc 16, having an overhanging rim 17. This rim is eccentric to the axis of the driving shaft 18, but it is concentric with the casing 5. The rim member 17 is stationary and makes tight fit connection, as at 19, with the casing 5, and as at 20, with the cover plate 7 The port containing member 21 carries an inlet and out let port 22 and 23, respectively, and is provided with a hub or head 24 and a hollow shaft portion25. The hollow shaft part, 25, is concentric with the casing 5, vwhile the head 24 is eccentric with the casing but concentric with the driving shaft 18. The member 21 is connected to the. fixed sleeve l2 by a key way 26. The head 24 is provided with an internal wall 27, which divides the interior of the head into ports 22 and 23. The port 22 communicates with the interior of the hollow shaft 25 to which an.

inlet pipel 28 is connected, so that the inl pipe 28 is in communication through the hollow shaft 25 with the port 22 at all times. The wall27 is perforated for the introduction of the pipe 29, which is the delivery pipe, and which passes through the hollow shaft 25, into the port-23. The pipe Awith a reduced end, as at 34, and having oil rings 35 in its peripheral surface. The pistons are. relatively long so as to provide large resisting surfaces, and oil that will be accumulated in the rings 35 will afford sufficient packing to prevent leak past the pistons. Each cylinder isprovided with a port 36 within which the redu'ced end 34 will enter at the end of the instroke of the respcctire pistons, so as to provide the smallest possible amount of clearance for the fluid compressed by the radially moving pistons. The head 24 is provided on its periphery with a series of oil grooves 37, shown rather exaggerated in-size, within which to contain oil to increase the packing effect between the inner bore of the rotating member-32 and the outer surface of the head 24, similar to those in the pistons.

The part 5', of the frameis provided with threads 39 for a cap 40. rIhe part 39 contains packing 41 and the cap 40 also contains packing 42. Now it is manifest that when the cap is screwed tightly on the threaded part 39 that leak past the shaft 18, when the latter is in rotation, is prohibited.

Now looking at Fig. 2, it will be observed that the pistons above a horizontal plane taken through the axis of the driving shaft, are to a greater or less extent moved outwardly from the axis of the driving shaft, their outward movement eifected by centrifugal action, being limited only by the eccentric iiange 17 againstwhich the outer ends of each of the pist/ons bear. N ow assuming that the member 32 is rotated in clockwise direction: the fluid taken in by them' in their outward movements, through the port 22 and the pipe 28, is contained between the inner end of each of the pistons and the port 22. ,As the cylinder member 3Q is rotated, the pistons are moved inwardly 35 b v their contact with the inner surface ofv the eccentric flange 17, and at a point, substantially within a horizontal plane of the axis of the driving shaft, the discharge ports 36 of the cylinders are brought consecutively 40 into communication with the port 23. which is in communication with t'he delivery pipes 29 and 30, and from which the fluid under compression is delivered.

So soon as the pistons have passed a vertical plane, taken through the axis of the driving shaft, their cylinders are substantially closed by the outer wall 43 of the head 24 and inner` movement of the pistons, after passing this point, serves to compress the air within the respective cylinders.

After the cylinders in their progressive movement pass the point 46, the fluid in them is more or less attenuated by expan- I sion, due to the outward movement of the pistons, whereupon the fluid within the port opening 22 will rush into the cylinder and lill the space and continue to do sountil the' pistons have arrived at substantially vertical position, whereupon, after passing vertical position, they begin to compress, and the cycle is repeated, Yas heretofore described.

The liange 48 is a means for connecting the driving shaft 18 to any suitable source parts, if desired, and there are other modifications and additions that will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art, and while I have herein shown a single embodiment of the invention for the purpose of clear disclosure, it is apparent that considerable change in the configuration and the arrangement of the parts is within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim is zcompressor having in combination a rotatable cylinder member provided with a plurality of radially disposed cylinders therein, each cylinderat its inner end having a bore of contracted diameter communicating with a central bore in said member; a piston in each cylinder having two diameters to fill the bores of the respective cylinder to reduce the clearance at the inner ends of the cylinder; a hollow fixed member in the bore of the rotary member having a pair of oppositely positioned ninety degree ports for communication with the cylinders in progress of rotation and a. fixed ring eccentric to the axis of the cylinder member, to force the pistons into their cylinders and to permit their outward movement at different points of rotation whereby all of the air is gradually forced out of each cylinder during one fourth of a complete rotation and the cylinder is completely exhausted when the piston occupies its most inward position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name.

STERLING lV. CALHOUX. 

